Louisa Jewell, CPPA Founder and President, interviews Shahrukh (Shak) Shah about his new book, “Mental Illness: Don’t Let It Define You.”
Watch this inspiring interview here:
About Shak Shah: Shahrukh (Shak) Shah is a finance executive turned mental health advocate and psychotherapist-in-training. Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder just before a partner interview with his accounting firm, his lived experience of burnout and recovery drives his mission to reshape how high-performance workplaces approach mental health. Through his platform, Bipolar Empath, Shak leads with vulnerability to challenge stigma and promote empathetic leadership. While completing his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, he also runs an independent accounting advisory practice and partners with organizations across Canada to foster more human-centered work cultures. Learn more about Shak here: https://www.bipolarempath.ca/
About “Mental Illness: Don’t Let It Define You”: What if the darkest moments of your life became the doorway to your greatest growth?
In Mental Illness: Don’t Let It Define You, Shahrukh Shah—known to many as Shak—offers a raw, honest, and deeply human account of what it means to live with bipolar disorder. From achieving career success and striving for perfection, to crashing into a full-blown mental health crisis, Shak opens the door to his world with powerful vulnerability and reflection.
More than just a memoir, this book is a message of hope, resilience, and courage. Shak doesn’t shy away from the complexities of mental illness, stigma, or the reality of psychiatric hospital stays. Instead, he explores what it means to rebuild—slowly, bravely, and with self-compassion.
For anyone struggling with their mental health—or loving someone who is—this book offers connection, wisdom, and the reminder that you are not your diagnosis. Learn more or purchase Shak’s book here.
